Forest Encounter (Closed)

NyxAvatar68

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The battle was over. Smoke and ash still filled the air and the corpses of a number of magicians littered the forest. Trees had been burned and cut, leaving the once peaceful forest nothing but the remnants of another battlefield. The survivor of the long and difficult fight had long since left the scene. A short distance away, past the smoke and ash, sat a large waterfall, and underneath it was a girl with long brown hair. The ends of her hair were charred black and there were a number of burns all over her body. The girl was in the middle of washing the blood and ash off of her body, partly because she was sure nobody would be dumb enough to wander into the forest from the nearby village.

'One of them got away. That jester. If I had managed to kill him, I'd be able to go home after I got my pay from the mayor,' the girl thought to herself, running a hand through her hair. She had been called directly to handle the job due to the nature of the culprits, a group of fire mages who have been exhibiting an unusual growth in their abilities that, for some reason, also made them incredibly arrogant and prone to violence. They had also been responsible for kidnapping a number of villagers for sacrificial rituals, or so the mayor told her when he called the guild back in the city.

As the girl gathered her thoughts, she turned her attention to her clothes that she had airing out nearby. Like the rest of her body, they had been burned in several places and reeked of smoke and ash. The girl made a mental note that she'd have to wash them after she got back to the room she was borrowing thanks to the mayor. 'I'll have to search the corpses when I'm done. Maybe one of them has a clue where their hideout is. The sooner I can go back home, the better,' the girl thought while she carefully ran her hands around her body, careful not to touch any burns too harshly. While her chest was a bit above average, most of her appearance didn't stand out very much in any normal situation, and she preferred it that way.
 
Jon is from the family that lived outside the village, on a large tree farm. Mostly to collect the sap from Maple trees and some other trees or Christmas. For the family they keep a dark secret. Long ago once down the family tree there was magic in the blood line, but over the past 100 years or so. The risk of magic showing up has almost been forgotten. Little did the family know you need to be fully developed before the gift shows in there family. For some unknown reason it had skipped a few generations and they think it skipped for Jon...

Jon was a jock in high school. Good for fun level but anything like pro. He was no where near that good. Jon stands 5'10 with short brown hair that just can cover the fingers as you run your hand threw his hair. He has eyes that shift from light to dark blue eyes. He is also a good solid build at 280 pounds. With Jon's family living so remotely he got to love taking walks seeing the animal life. While being out on the walks for a day or two, this gave him some time to try and make sense of the "gift" he is starting to find is developing. Jon is in fear if anyone would find out about his passive gift would mark him for death out of fear of most of the folks with magic. All he can do is turn invisible, not something that can be harmful.

Jon is 21 years old, thinking of how life has changed from his graduating just 4 years ago. Jon is good at heart, and is scared how all his family and friends would react if they ever found out. On a long walk to clear his head. Jon has came on some scorching of the trees. Jon is torn to get far away from here as there is clear sign's of a battle. Jon couldn't help, but to want to find some folks who could do magic to try help with the loneliness he feels. As he pushed into what was the combat area. He got the idea to go to the river as anyone alive may be by the banks. Jon is walking to the sounds of the waterfall to search there and walk down river from there.
 
Once Crystal was sure enough the dirt, blood, and ash had been washed off, she stepped away from the waterfall. Water dripped down her hair and body and she ran a hand through her soaked hair. 'I might have to cut the ends,' she thought to herself while she continued running her hand through her hair. She froze for a moment, thinking she felt a presence. While it was a sense she had due to her time in battle and therefore it wasn't something she could turn off.

Back at school, at least as far as she could remember, Crystal didn't really fit in with anyone, partly because she had transferred in partway through her third year, but also because there were times where she wouldn't be at school for extended periods of time due to work. Even though she would make up any missed work, it didn't help when it came to trying to make friends. Eventually, she had given up entirely on trying in school, sticking to the distant relationships she had with clients and other adventurers she sometimes talked to at cheap bars, even though she herself was underage and didn't drink. As she thought about it, however...

"If this was a hot spring, a drink would be nice. Those bastards and their fire boiled the water I brought with me, too," she said to nobody in particular, letting out a sigh.
 
Jon just rounded a thick old oak tree when he froze in his tracks. His mouth feel open and eyes about ready to pop out of there head as he sees a woman he somewhat knew from around school, tho they never where in the same group to hang out with. His mind trying to come up with a name for this beauty.

After a second or two he coughed to make his self know. Tho he had no idea how he should start a conversation with a woman bathing in the stream. This has his mind wrapped up on the now, his problem is far back in the back of his mind almost forgotten.
 
While Crystal was in the middle of thinking over the random thoughts that had come to her mind, she heard a noise. When she turned her attention towards the source, she saw a man standing there. She stood in silence for a moment, looked down at herself, then went into action. She covered her chest with one of her arms and held out her free hand. As if by magic, a silver longsword appeared out of thin air in front of her, giving her the perfect chance to grab the hilt of the weapon and point it at the newcomer.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?" she questioned. While she had this distinct feeling the person standing before her was someone vaguely familiar, at that moment in time, she didn't care at all. All she could see was some pervert trying to peep on her while she was cleaning up after an elimination job, even though said job wasn't finished yet.
 
Jon was shocked by seeing the sword pop out of thin air like that. He threw his hands up to over his head to give up. Jon was caught off guard and stumbles a bit saying "I am.. ummmm umm I'm Jonathan most know me as Jon. I am umm out for a walk."


Jon knew he was in good shape. With the distance there is a good chance he could get out of sight and try using his gift. Tho with it being so knew, this isn't the best time to play with it. If he has to use it to hide he will, but he if don't he would rather not risk outing himself. Clearly this woman has more time using her gift and her give is a attacking kind, he would be at a disadvantage for sure.
 
Crystal continued to glare at him, keeping her sword pointed at him. "The mayor was supposed to tell everyone in the village to stay out of the forest. You'd think all the smoke and fire would be a dead giveaway," Crystal said, mostly to herself. She shook her head and got right to her point. "I'm sure you've heard of the dangerous mages running around causing chaos in this area. It'd be dangerous for you to be wandering around out here by yourself, so go back to the village," Crystal went on. When she heard the newcomer's name, something about it was familiar to her, but at the time, her job was more important. 'Besides, once I'm done with that jester, I doubt we'll ever see each other again,' she thought to herself.
 
Jon smiles and says "I live out side of town, my family has a tree farm. If I turn my back so you can get dressed. Do you promise not to try and kill me?"

Jon didn't really wait for her response. He just turned his back to her. If she did kill him, then he wouldn't need to worry about hiding the gift. Not that he wanted to die.

Jon responded out loud making sure he can be heard even facing away " Seams to me I did hear about some folks going missing. Seeing the forest in the state made me want to find out what did it, so I know what is a risk to my family trees. Sometimes a shepherd has to expose him self to protect the flock you know."

Jon did want to know more about how she got the sword out of no where. Was it something like he could do of hiding it while still being there, or did she teleport it from somewhere." Tho Jon will ask her later if she don't kill him first. Tho he is feeling like its a safe bet she wont kill him as she thinks he is just a human, and that would have been true up till about 6 months ago.
 
Crystal didn't respond right away, but lowered her weapon after Jon turned around. "If you move an inch, you're finished," Crystal threatened, taking a few steps back towards where her clothes were. As she thought, the stench of smoke and ash still lingered on them. She shook her head and tried not to let it bother her as she got dressed. While she listened to Jon's explanation, she thought over an answer.

"Is that right?" was her simple response. Once she was dressed, she picked up her sword from off the ground. Even though she was sure that Jon had no relation to the magicians, she kept her guard up anyway. 'Even out here in the sticks, there are bound to be crazies. I better be careful, just in case,' she thought to herself. After a short moment of silence, she cleared her throat, as if she were signaling that it was alright to turn back around.
 
Jon still had his back turned to Crystal. It sounds like she was getting dressed, and that did not shock him as he was almost positive she was nude in the river.

She says " 'Even out here in the sticks, there are bound to be crazies. I better be careful, just in case,'" where he just shrugged his shoulders as if to say I don't know, but didn't move anything other then his shoulders about a inch up and down. As it sounds like she was finishing getting dressed, kinda sounded like her pants being put on as he presumed she was wiggling into them... Soon after he heard her clear her throat. He had taken that as a sign it was safe to turn around. He did now standing in place but doing a slow turn. His eyes scanning the area to see if she left any clothing behind. Tho he was not sure if he would tell her if he seen anything. She is cute and he was partly hoping she would leave something for him.
Jon says "Well my family been here a long time about as long as the town has been here, we seen a few odd things now and then, but life goes on. Didn't you go to school in town? Kinda look like someone I seen in the halls.... Say speaking of odd things, I never did see a item pop out of air like that. Do you have a gift of teleportation or something?" Jon had hopped she might tell him that she is gifted. Jon wouldn't tell her he was gifted as he don't want anyone to know let alone someone that has done combat with magical folk/beings. It would be nice to have someone he could talk to about it, but this was not the woman to open up to. Well not yet anyways.

Being a young man that had just seen a nude or mostly nude woman. He was all excited and part of his brain was hoping to get lucky with her. Even tho his rational mind knew nothing would happen.

He had taken a few slow steps, to see her response. He hoped he could close about a arm distance a bit to talk to her. If she would let him... His eyes scanned her body from head to toe, then take another scan. Repeating this till she stopped him or he got with in range to have a civil conversation.

Part of him wanted to invite her to his family place, give her a option at the bathroom and maybe stay the night or so. Then part of him knew if she was there it could draw the fighting to his family land. His mind wasn't made up to ask her home or not, so he was going to hold that thought and see how she reacted.
 
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When Crystal watched Jon turn around and noticed him staring at her, it had reminded her of someone from school. A boy who would always look at women as if he was aiming to sleep with them. Even she had been the target of that boy's gaze time and time again, and just thinking about it bothered her. Without a moment's hesitation, Crystal pointed her sword at Jon again when she noticed him trying to get closer. "Come any closer and I'll end you right here and now," Crystal simply said, her words far colder than before. "I'm not going to repeat myself, civilian. Leave this place right now, and that's not a request," she went on. As far as she was concerned, the conversation was over the moment she saw the way Jon stared at her, like some prize to be won.

"Filthy pervert," she muttered to herself.
 
Jon stopped where he was. He asks " Would you like to use my bathroom to wash up in? My cabin is not far from here."

Jon acts like he didn't hear her mutter calling him a pervert. He says in the most innocent tone " Can wash up property and use my washer and dryer for your clothing. I can offer you a shirt to wear if you would like to use my place?"

Even if she wasn't a hottie, he still would make the offer to a human. Tho parts of him thinks about telling her she will have the place to her self and he will hide out of site. Then part of him wants to give her privacy to let her have his place to her self. Both potions are a mute point if she don't want to take his offer tho, so he is not invested in any plan if she gets to his cabin.
 
"Not a chance in hell," Crystal simply replied. She didn't bother to explain her reasoning or that the mayor had already provided her with a place to stay, mostly because she thought it should be obvious. 'What's this guy's problem, anyway? You're almost asking for me to cut you down. A guy like him probably wouldn't be missed much...but it'd be a waste of time. In fact, what if he's keeping me here just to waste my time? I'm supposed to go and see the mayor and report my progress. Better than hanging around here any longer. If he tries any funny business, I'll put him down and hide his body with the magicians,' Crystal thought. She nodded to herself, confirming her plan in her head and lowering her weapon. However, she still had her guard up in case anything happened.

"Go back home. Live your normal life, and don't get yourself involved any further if you actually value the lives of your family," Crystal said as she walked past Jon and back into the smokey forest.
 
Jon knew it was a long shot on her taking him up to come home with him. Jon moved a side to give her room so she could pass. He moved to the river side, then up closer to the water fall. He didn't know what he was doing. Just looking to see if anything was left other then her foot prints.
 
As Crystal walked back through the forest to the village, she would make occasional stops to check any of the corpses of the magicians that had not been mercilessly burned to cinders by the fires that had previously raged in the forest or due to the actions of their leader, a strange jester wearing a mask to hide their face. Smoke still blocked out the sky, and from Crystal's assumption, it would be a long time before anything would be able to grow in that part of the forest again. 'Guess it's no wonder people in that village hate magic users so much. But it doesn't explain how these guys gained such unusual levels of power. Their fire magic wasn't natural at all,' Crystal thought to herself while she finished checking the last of the corpses. With no new leads, she decided to head back to the village.
 
Jon looked around where she had her clothing, only sign she was here was her footprints. Nothing of intrest to Jon. He had a feeling she would be working for the mayor. He hoped she would be heading there.

Jon knew he was a good deal behind her, and wasn't a skilled tracker. So he lost her. He just had to hope they would run into each other later.

Jon made his way into town getting a sandwich and heading to the city park about half a block from the Mayors house and the other way about a half a block from city hall. Jon lays on the slide in the park eating his food as he didn't really have anything more to do till tonight, so he has a few hours free.
 
"Is that right? There's still the leader left," the mayor asked after he listened to Crystal's report. The two were sitting in his office, separated by a large wooden desk. "Whoever this leader is, his magical power is even greater than his cronies. The heavens must be playing a cruel trick giving someone like that such power," Crystal replied. The mayor slowly shook his head and looked down at his desk. "Do you think you can beat him?" the mayor asked, in which Crystal responded with a shrug. "I don't have much choice. If that guy is allowed to run free, he'll torch this place and then likely move onto somewhere else," Crystal answered, standing up and starting towards the door. "I'll let you know when I find and kill the guy," she added before leaving the room.

By the time Crystal got out of the town hall, the sun had already begun to set. Crystal let out a yawn. "What a day so far. Now I need to come up with a plan to lure out that psycho and kill him," Crystal said to herself while she walked. She had no real destination in mind at the time, but at the same time, all she wanted to do was go to sleep and get ready to go hunting down the jester so she could go home.
 
Jon sat on the end of the slide in the park still eating his sandwich enjoying the down time the afternoon is giving him. He can't help but to wonder about the cutie he came app on at the river.

The question how did she get her sword in hand like that still bouncing around in the back of his mind. He finishes the sandwich and heads back to the river, on his way home.

He is unaware that Crystal is out on the streets this second. Jon is not sure how he is going to handle his gift. Odds are live his life with out telling anyone. Tho it would be nice for someone to know about his gift that he could be open to in the world. He is not telling his family as he wants to protect them should anyone come looking for him.
 
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The bodies of the remaining magicians had been removed from their original places in the passing time since Crystal left the forest, gathered up and carelessly tossed into a pile like garbage. The smoke had finally cleared away, exposing the level of destruction that the earlier battle had brought to the forest. Standing in front of the pile of corpses was a man dressed up like a jester. A mask kept his face hidden. He stood alone in silence in front of the pile of bodies for several minutes before his eyes shot open and he raised his hand towards the bodies.

"That vixen will pay for this. We, who have been blessed with this power by god to do whatever we want, should not have to bow to someone who does not have our power. I will erase them all. They shall all burn in the eternal flames," the man said to himself. Flames shot out of the palm of his hand and ignited the pile of corpses like a bonfire. The heat from the flames were far hotter than normal fire, and in short time, the corpses had become nothing but ash. Once the bodies were gone, the jester turned towards the path that would lead him to the village.

'My power is growing. Soon, I will be able to torch that podunk little village to the ground along with all the fools who live in it. I'll destroy every last inch of it,' he thought, snickering to himself.
 
Jon had taken the trails to get to the water fall. He can see a bit that the battle area is no longer smoke covered, but he is still a short walk from it with a small clump of trees that blocking his view or the battle area. He is unaware any evil is near by.
 
The air around the jester grew hotter and hotter, as if he were a miniature sun standing in the middle of the desert instead of a forest. A number of pale blue spheres slowly rose out of the ashes and began to circle around him. A strange brand on the jester's right hand began to glow, and the spheres circled faster and faster around him before flying into his body. The heat radiating off of the jester's body only grew, making the area around him more like a near lethal sauna than the middle of the forest. "Yes, gather, my fallen brothers and sisters. Give me your power. Together, we will get our revenge," the jester said.
 
Something didn't feel right to Jon. He wasn't a fighter or anything like that. He stripped off all his clothing and used his gift. He became invisible.... He hid his clothing under some rocks by the waterfall so they would not be easily found. He didn't know if he should hide here or look to see what was making him feel strange..
 
With more and more spirits of his fallen allies gathering into his body, the heat radiating off the jester got stronger and stronger, but almost as suddenly as it started, the blue spheres vanished and the heat slowly began to die down. "That should be enough power for now. With this kind of strength, no human should be able to stand up to me. Those stupid fools in the village will be the first. We may even be able to gather a few more sacrifices for our rituals," the jester said to himself. He nodded to himself and with a snap of a finger, a ring of fire began to form around him. The flames shot up and he was gone, leaving behind a burnt ring in the ground.
 
Jon peeked out into the clearing and watched while being invisible and listen. He heard enough and knew my mayor would get word to Crytal he thinks her name is..

Jon then backed off to get his clothing and make a run for town to pass work on to what he seen and heard....... When at the mayors office Jon told him everything only leaving out the part of him being invisible.
 
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